<s>
World	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
Tour	I-Application
(	O
abbreviated	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
and	O
WGT	O
by	O
Topgolf	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
virtual	O
golf	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
played	O
virtually	B-Application
on	O
actual	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
located	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
Canada	O
and	O
Mexico	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
patented	O
3D	O
photorealistic	O
georeferencing	B-General_Concept
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
choose	O
and	O
compete	O
in	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
virtual	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
,	O
play	O
individually	O
or	O
enter	O
into	O
a	O
skills	O
challenge	O
or	O
in	O
tournaments	O
for	O
prizes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Co-founders	O
of	O
WGT	O
Media	O
Chad	O
Nelson	O
and	O
YuChiang	O
Cheng	O
collaborated	O
in	O
2006	O
to	O
come	O
up	O
with	O
a	O
high-quality	O
golf	B-Application
game	O
simulation	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
played	O
for	O
free	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
and	O
compete	O
with	O
or	O
surpass	O
the	O
visual	O
quality	O
of	O
console	O
video	O
sports	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
recruited	O
JF	O
Prata	O
and	O
Phil	O
Gorrow	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
to	O
build	O
the	O
physics	O
game	O
engine	O
that	O
interfaces	O
the	O
thousands	O
of	O
photographs	O
of	O
each	O
golf	B-Application
course	O
that	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Media	O
launched	O
a	O
demo	O
of	O
the	O
site	O
in	O
2007	O
and	O
commenced	O
an	O
open	O
beta	O
test	O
in	O
October	O
2008	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
golf	B-Application
course	O
WGT	O
Media	O
captured	O
and	O
developed	O
for	O
play	O
was	O
the	O
Ocean	O
Course	O
at	O
Kiawah	O
Island	O
Golf	B-Application
Resort	O
,	O
located	O
in	O
South	O
Carolina	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
its	O
authenticity	O
in	O
photographing	O
and	O
using	O
actual	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
for	O
game	O
development	O
,	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
differs	O
from	O
standard	O
console	O
video	O
sports	O
games	O
that	O
are	O
produced	O
fully	O
by	O
computer	O
graphics	O
,	O
rendered	O
by	O
animators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
this	O
particular	O
process	O
of	O
game	O
development	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
allow	O
real	O
golfers	O
to	O
play	O
virtually	B-Application
on	O
real	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
at	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
and	O
then	O
take	O
that	O
knowledge	O
and	O
experience	O
out	O
to	O
the	O
actual	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
themselves	O
to	O
test	O
their	O
skills	O
and	O
ability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Members	O
of	O
the	O
PGA	O
have	O
even	O
practiced	O
at	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
before	O
going	O
to	O
tournaments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2011	O
,	O
a	O
foursome	O
completed	O
the	O
100	O
millionth	O
virtual	O
round	O
of	O
golf	B-Application
played	O
on	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2013	O
,	O
World	B-Application
Golf	I-Application
Tour	I-Application
Media	O
released	O
the	O
mobile	O
version	O
for	O
tablets	O
and	O
smartphones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
is	O
developed	O
using	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Creative	I-Operating_System
Suite	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
Web	I-Operating_System
Premium	I-Operating_System
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Media	O
starts	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
game	O
development	O
by	O
taking	O
thousands	O
of	O
high	O
definition	O
photos	O
of	O
actual	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
using	O
helicopters	O
equipped	O
with	O
cameras	O
and	O
GPS	O
tracking	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Media	O
then	O
textures	O
the	O
photographs	O
onto	O
the	O
3D	O
environment	O
,	O
using	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Premiere	I-Operating_System
Pro	I-Operating_System
to	O
determine	O
how	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
different	O
surfaces	O
will	O
have	O
an	O
effect	O
on	O
the	O
ball	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
animation	O
,	O
using	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Flash	I-Operating_System
CS4	O
Professional	O
,	O
is	O
then	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
avatars	O
that	O
are	O
used	O
as	O
the	O
golfer	O
for	O
each	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
replicate	O
how	O
the	O
golf	B-Application
ball	O
reacts	O
to	O
the	O
club	O
swing	O
,	O
rolls	O
across	O
the	O
green	O
,	O
or	O
bounces	O
down	O
the	O
fairway	O
,	O
WGT	O
Media	O
ran	O
various	O
tests	O
to	O
measure	O
impact	O
and	O
collision	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
data	O
were	O
then	O
entered	O
into	O
WGT	O
's	O
newly	O
created	O
game	O
physics	O
engine	O
to	O
determine	O
how	O
each	O
player	O
's	O
golf	B-Application
swing	O
would	O
affect	O
ball	O
travel	O
based	O
on	O
input	O
by	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lastly	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Flash	I-Operating_System
is	O
then	O
used	O
to	O
stream	O
audio	O
and	O
video	O
together	O
for	O
a	O
seamless	O
transition	O
from	O
picture	O
to	O
picture	O
during	O
game	O
play	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
player	O
moves	O
down	O
the	O
fairway	O
or	O
makes	O
a	O
putt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
players	O
are	O
assigned	O
to	O
"	O
tiers	O
"	O
reflecting	O
their	O
skill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
player	O
research	O
on	O
the	O
site	O
,	O
as	O
of	O
October	O
2011	O
there	O
were	O
over	O
1,900	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
players	O
who	O
had	O
advanced	O
to	O
the	O
Legend	O
tier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Levels	O
are	O
important	O
to	O
players	O
because	O
certain	O
virtual	O
golf	B-Application
equipment	O
may	O
be	O
purchased	O
by	O
players	O
only	O
when	O
they	O
reach	O
a	O
certain	O
level	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
equipment	O
available	O
to	O
higher-level	O
players	O
generally	O
being	O
of	O
higher	O
quality	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Media	O
enters	O
into	O
license	O
agreements	O
with	O
real	O
golf	B-Application
courses	O
and	O
tournament	O
owners	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Golf	B-Application
Association	O
(	O
USGA	O
)	O
and	O
The	O
R&A	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
has	O
also	O
made	O
agreements	O
with	O
equipment	O
providers	O
and	O
other	O
companies	O
including	O
TruGolf	O
,	O
Taylor	O
Made	O
,	O
Adams	O
Golf	B-Application
,	O
Ping	O
,	O
Lynx	O
,	O
Nike	O
,	O
Snake	O
Eyes	O
Golf	B-Application
,	O
Cleveland	O
,	O
Callaway	O
,	O
Titleist	O
,	O
Srixon	O
,	O
Loudmouth	O
Golf	B-Application
,	O
American	O
Express	O
,	O
Sky	O
Golf	B-Application
,	O
Adidas	O
Golf	B-Application
,	O
Ketel	O
One	O
vodka	O
,	O
Lexus	O
,	O
Old	O
Granddad	O
bourbon	O
,	O
and	O
Pilsner	O
Urquell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
United	O
States	O
Golf	B-Application
Association	O
(	O
USGA	O
)	O
partnered	O
with	O
WGT	O
Media	O
in	O
2009	O
to	O
co-host	O
the	O
first	O
annual	O
Virtual	O
USGA	O
Championship	O
online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
's	O
dominant	O
players	O
,	O
BolloxInBruges	O
,	O
won	O
a	O
trip	O
to	O
the	O
2011	O
US	O
Open	O
,	O
at	O
Congressional	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
can	O
also	O
be	O
launched	O
and	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
online	O
organizations	O
including	O
USGA.org,	O
ESPN.com	O
and	O
Facebook	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Social	O
networking	O
apps	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
added	O
to	O
anyone	O
's	O
Facebook	O
home	O
page	O
to	O
let	O
family	O
and	O
friends	O
know	O
where	O
you	O
play	O
virtual	O
golf	B-Application
,	O
read	O
blog	O
entries	O
about	O
your	O
latest	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
track	O
your	O
golfing	O
statistics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
allows	O
a	O
player	O
to	O
post	O
their	O
own	O
replays	O
of	O
their	O
best	O
10	O
shots	O
they	O
've	O
taken	O
in	O
the	O
past	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
External	O
voice	O
chat	O
communications	O
programs	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
Ventrillo	B-Operating_System
,	O
Team	B-Language
Speak	I-Language
,	O
Skype	B-Application
and	O
Roger	B-Application
Wilco	I-Application
,	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
,	O
while	O
playing	O
golf	B-Application
at	O
WGT	O
Golf	B-Application
,	O
making	O
it	O
easier	O
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
